People Waging Peace: Stories of Americans Striving for Peace and Justice in the World Today

McGuinness, a freelance journalist, profiles 50 peace activists and analyzes the contemporary movement with an emphasis on grassroots participation. The author shows that the drive against war is flourishing, its goals are broader than those of the '60s movement and its members come from all social strata. Marge Roberts, a 57-year-old from Denver, served as a ``nonviolent bodyguard'' for individuals intimidated by the Guatemalan government and was part of a vigil in Rocky Flats, Colo., denouncing the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Californian Tim Carpenter organized Alliance for Survival, an effective protest group that grew from 30 to 4000 people under his administration. And Helen Caldicott energized Physicians for Social Responsibility and founded Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, two influential national antinuclear groups. These short portraits do not probe deeply enough to explain the psyche of these dedicated pacifists, although even the glimpses provided give reassurance that the peace cause is not forgotten. Photos. Author tour. (August)